In a continuing effort to improve the quality of shipping fruits, we, the inventors, typically hybridize a large number of nectarine, peach, plum, apricot, and cherry seedlings each year. The present invention relates to a new and distinct variety of peach tree, which has been denominated varietally as `Ivory Princess`. The present variety was hybridized by us in 1992, grown as a seedling on its own roots in our greenhouse, and transplanted to a cultivated area of our experimental orchard at Bradford Farms near Le Grand, Calif. in Merced County (San Joaquin Valley). It was developed as a first generation cross using `Crown Princess` (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 7,070) yellow flesh peach as the selected seed parent and `June Pearl` (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 9,360) white flesh nectarine as the selected pollen parent. Subsequent to origination of the present variety of peach tree, we asexually reproduced it by budding and grafting, and such reproduction of plant and fruit characteristics were true to the original plant in all respects. The reproduction of the variety included the use of Nemaguard Rootstock, the standard of the stone fruit industry in central California, upon which the present variety was compatible and true to type.
The fruit produced by the present variety exhibits the desirable characteristics common to its pollen parent, `June Pearl` (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 9,360) white flesh nectarine, by producing clingstone fruit that is white in flesh color, subacidic and sweet in flavor, firm in texture, and mostly red in skin color, but is distinguished therefrom and an improvement thereon by producing fruit that is larger in size, rounder in shape, peach instead of nectarine, and that ripens about seven days earlier.
The present variety is similar to its selected seed parent, `Crown Princess` (U.S. Plant Pat. 7,070) yellow flesh peach, by producing clingstone peaches that are globose in shape, nearly full red in skin color, and mature in early June, but is distinguished therefrom and an improvement thereon by producing fruit that is subacidic instead of acidic in flavor and that is white instead of yellow in flesh color.